Reincarnated into a Game As the Hero’s Friend

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As I was thinking, the topic in the meeting switched to where the refugees will stay.

“The current plan is to create camps in the capital’s surroundings.”

“Then?”

“There is currently another meeting in a different room to discuss that, but it looks like it is going to take some time until the meeting reaches a consensus.”

“Well, everyone is quite greedy.”

Duke Seyfart’s words make the people in the room let out a bitter smile. In this world, an additional population means additional power. That’s why as long as the number of refugees is acceptable, all nobles will welcome the refugees as their citizens with open hands.

The problem is that the number of refugees is just too high. Any territories that accepted them need to provide support until they can earn money for themselves. The nobles only want to accept a certain number of refugees, since having too many refugees in their territories will only be a burden. So currently in the other meeting room, the nobles must have felt conflicted.

The nobles in the other meeting rooms are probably in the midst of fierce discussion over how many refugees will be accepted by their territories. The refugees will be split up as stuff like human rights for the refugees didn’t exist in this world. Though I’m pretty sure consideration for a family to be moved to the same territories exists.

Other than the number, the nobles might also be fighting over the quality of refugees that will come to their territories. Every noble wants to have refugees with a certain qualification, like a former merchant or a former government official to come to their territories. In this world, people who can read and calculate are precious. Other than merchants and officials, as long as they didn’t demand luxury, the nobles must also want craftsmen to come to their territories.

Unfortunately, just like in my past life, people with this kind of qualification are far fewer compared to normal people.

“So until a formal decision is made, the refugees will be temporarily living in the capital’s surroundings.”

“If that’s the case, then getting food and water for them will become a problem.

“It seems like we have no choice but to draw the water from the lake on the top of Krumsche mountain.”

“There’s been a plan to do that but the problem is the mountain’s terrain is just…”

Krumsche. A name I’ve never heard before. I’m not the only one that’s confused, as another nobleman in his forties raised his hand and asked, “Pardon my interruption but, what sort of plan are you all talking about?”

“Ah, Count Vogler, you didn’t know about it. On top of Mount Krumsche, northwest of the capital, There’s a large lake that has good quality water.”

Not all nobles know about places around the capital. After all, there are nobles who have territory near the border. I don’t remember Count Vogler but perhaps his territory is near the Knap Marquisate.

Duke Seyfart nonchalantly gives Count Volger an explanation about Krumsche. The Duke’s explanation must also be directed to other nobles who know nothing about this.

The Duke’s explanation is quite simple. Northwest of the capital, there’s a small mountain named Mount Krumsche and there’s a lake on top of that mountain. There’s talk to make that lake into a source of water, but the problem is between the capital and Krumsche there’s a mountain basin with a deep crevice on it.

It was to the point that a suggestion to just create agricultural land near the capital, rather than carrying water to the capital popped out. It’s still just a suggestion though, not a plan.

In my past life, big metropolitan cities were all built near a river, but for some reason in this world, towns aren’t built near a river. Despite the fact that towns that were built near a river have easier access to drinking water and easier way to transport goods. After all, the water route can carry more goods in less time. Maybe the reason why towns in this world have no problem despite not being built near a river is that this world originally was a game world?

Well, thinking about that now isn’t going to help me.

“If it’s only the crevice we can still transport the water by building an aqueduct. The problem is the basin.”

“I see. How deep is the whole basin?”

“From the area where the crevice is to the upper ground of the mountain, the depth is about the same as a child’s height.”

While Count Engelbert’s answer made COunt Vogler nod in understanding, I feel unconvinced. It’s just as deep as a child’s height, isn’t it solvable?

Because of that thought, by the time I realized I had raised my hand.

“Viscount Zeavert?”

“Ah, um… I cannot be certain until I see the terrain myself but I might know a way to solve that problem.”

Everyone turned to me. I feel like I was eyed by a predator, just like a frog in front of a snake…Nah, this isn’t the time to think about something like that.

“Um…May I be allowed some time to prepare for my explanation?”

“Of course. Then, while waiting for Viscount Zeavert’s preparation, let us move to other topics.”

After I got permission, Duke Seyfart lightly nodded. Duke, please stop looking at me with an expression as if you’re trying to find out what kind of prank your grandson is trying to concoct! Age-wise, I can pass for the Duke’s grandson though.

For my preparation, I called the young nobles that are gathered in the corner. I draw tools that I need for the experiment and ask them to prepare them. I guess it can’t be helped that they gave me a strange look.

This experiment would be much easier if plastic bottles existed in this world.

A while later, a rather large blackboard and tools that I needed for the experiment were prepared. The meeting then paused. It’s also a perfect time for the people in the meeting to get some break as they saw my experiment.

The experiment tools I requested are nothing grand. Just two wine bottles with the bottom cited off, and a tube to connect both bottles so I can transport water. I fixed the tube to the mouth of both bottles to connect them.

After this, I only need several wine bottles filled with water then I can begin the experiment.

(Info dump warning! here to skip.

Summary: The tube is made using the gut of demonic beasts named stone crawler that’s been soaked in vinegar for 30 days. It’s tough and stretchy so better than a rubber hose. Stone crawler is a pretty strong demonic beast and the tube itself is also used for watering so the tube’s supply never meets its demand.)

By the way, the tube is made from the gut of a demonic beast called ‘stone crawler’ that’s been soaked in vinegar for 30 days. It’s tough and stretchy so it’s a perfect material for creating a tube, it’s even better than a rubber hose.

But stone crawler is a demonic beast that’s hard for beginner adventurers to hunt so this tube is quite rare. I heard it’s also a tube used for watering. There are many commissions to get this tube submitted to the Adventure Guild but the supply never matched the demand. Since it’s not something you can create by yourself, that’s not strange.

This tube has 2 drawbacks. First, unlike rubber hose, it can’t be joined together so its length is limited to the original length of the demonic beast’s gut. Second, knowing what it was made from makes me feel disgusted when using it… Let’s not think about the second one.

[Info dump end]

“You hold this one while you hold this one.”

I had an adult civil officer hold one bottle, while a child noble held the other. I asked both of them to hold the tube on the mouth of the bottles firmly so it won’t come off.

That child looks nervous. I mean he received the gaze of nobles and generals of this country so he must feel scared. Sorry for putting you through this.

“I will start the experiment.”

I have no intention to dilly dally. I also feel bad for that child so let’s just start.

I poured the water carefully into the bottle in the civil officer’s hand. When the bottle was filled with water, I stopped.

The sound of water resounded as it languidly flowed inside the tube. Before long, the tube that reached the floor was fully filled, and the water climbed up the tube to the wine bottle in the boy’s hand, overflowing it.

Small voices of surprise can be heard throughout the meeting room.

“As you all have seen, when the tube that connects the bottles is completely filled, the water will flow upward in an attempt to make both sides of the tube have the same height of water. I think this principle is to draw the water.”

I drew a rough drawing on the prepared blackboard. As expected of the chalk used in the palace, the quality is good. Let’s just forget the material it was created.

What I draw is a deformed drawing of Japan’s Tsujun Bridge [1] I don’t really know its size so my drawing looks like a child’s scribble but that’s fine as long as It gets the meaning across.

(Note:Archbridge-shaped aqueduct in Yamato province. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ts%C5%ABjun_Bridge )

“When the aqueduct is filled to the brim with water, in an attempt to make the water level of this hole where it enters and this hole where it comes out, the water will flow upward.”

The surroundings become noisy. Well, it’s just the inverted siphon principle taught in school, but that’s an understandable reaction for people who didn’t know about that. Since it seems like this principle is unknown in this world no one here has ever seen it.

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